Trust
by OreozFox
Summary: Trust. It takes years to build and seconds to break. The only thing more painful than losing a friend is realizing you never had one.
1. Chapter 1- Finally X Meeting X Again

" _Don't go! What happened to you?! KILLUA!"_

…

Killua slowly opened his eyes, but quickly shut them again with a groan as he was blinded by the bright sunlight that splayed across the bed from the window behind him. Slowly opening a single blue eye, he glanced at the clock. _8:45._

Curling up into a tight ball, Killua pulled the covers up to his nose. _I can sleep for a while longer._

Next to him, another figure stirred. Alluka, his younger sister, sat up in bed, yawning and stretching. Then, she looked over at her older brother, who had already asleep again. She smiled and tapped his shoulder. "Onii-chan, wake up!" she whispered.

Killua murmured something and pulled the covers over his head.

Alluka sighed, tugging at a sheet in his grasp. "Come on, Onii-chan! Wake-"

She was interrupted by the phone ringing, which bombarded the sleepy Killua's ears. He groaned again.

Alluka got up from the bed. "Who could that be this early?"

"It's probably the landlord again." Killua muttered. "I _told_ him I'd pay him on Tuesday! I'm just a little low right now…"

"That's because you spent all of our money on snacks! I told you to stop eating such sugary food all the time! Honestly…" Shaking her head, she headed into the kitchen.

There was a small click of Alluka picking up the phone. "Hello? Oh, hi, Gon-san! I haven't heard from you in a while."

Killua sat up in bed. _Gon?_

"How are you? Huh? Oh, that'd be great! But I have to ask Onii-chan first."

Killua was already out of bed. He headed out of the room, running a hand through his fluffy white hair. When he got to the kitchen, he leaned against the doorway, "What's up?"

Alluka put her hand over the reciever. "Gon-san said he was heading to Yorknew to meet up with you, Kurapika-san, and Leorio-san, and he wondered if tomorrow was okay to stop by."

Killua opened his mouth to say something, but he was stopped by his own thoughts. He missed Gon, and he missed him a lot, but he wasn't sure how much he missed the Gon from just a year ago. The _this has nothing to do with you_ Gon. The _I don't care if this is the end_ Gon.

"Onii-chan, are you okay?"

Killua shook his head slightly. _What am I thinking? Gon is my best friend, and that hasn't changed._

"Tell Gon I said no." He grinned. "Tell him I said he'd better get over here right now!"

Alluka's blue eyes filled with delight. "Alright!"

(A.N.: Hey-hey! Everytime I take just a few days off from posting, it feels like forever! Too much schoolwork! XD Anyway, I just randomly thought this up while watching Hunter X Hunter yesterday, and I think I'll have a lot of fun writing it! Sorry this chapter is so short, the others will be way longer! :) Thank you for your continued support. With the two season of HxH G2 combined, it has well over 1000 views, and it is definitely not stopping there! I'll see you later! :D)


	2. Chapter 2- Reunion X With X Gon

"Onii-chan! He's here!"

Killua nearly choked on his sandwich. _Already?!_ He glanced at the clock. _No, not already. I just have no track of time._

He barely heard Alluka greeting Gon as he jumped out of his chair, nearly toppling in the process, and stashing his plate in the fridge.

Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, he rushed out to the corridor.

"Onii-chan, look out!"

Killua glanced forward in confusion, and saw alarmed chocolate eyes a split second before he careened into something (or someone), sending him and that something sprawling on the floor.

"Ouch." Killua rubbed his head, opening his eyes. There he saw Gon, his best friend whose face he hadn't seen in months.

Killua sat up straight, an apology already spilling from his mouth, only to be tackled back to the floor again in a warm hug. "Killua! I missed you so much!"

Killua hugged Gon back. "You're suffocating me, Gon." he rasped.

"Ah! Sorry!" Gon released him, sitting back and laughing. "So, how are you? It's been way too long!"

"Yeah, I know." Killua said, smiling. "I missed you too."

Looking at Gon now, Killua was surprised at how he'd changed in only a year. Killua was still taller, but only barely.

 _I should've known that everything would be okay,_ Killua thought, _If Gon's not bitter, then why should I be?_

For the next couple of hours, the three just sat at the kitchen, rambling on about what had happened in the past year. But after a while, Gon seemed a bit distracted, casting quick glances at the clock.

Killua was the first to notice, but Alluka was the first to speak up. "Is everything okay, Gon?"

Gon, a bit startled, shook his head. "Uh, no, I was just thinking that I'd better go pick Leorio and Kurapika up at the station."

Killua raised an eyebrow. "But I thought they weren't coming until tomorrow!"

Gon flashed a sheepish grin. "Oh, well, when you said to come right now, I thought you meant all of us, so I called them and told them to come today."

Killua pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing in annoyance. "You idiot."

"Come on, Onii-chan!" Alluka interjected. "They're your friends, aren't they?"

"Yeah, but I thought we could spend today with Gon." Killua replied.

"I'm glad you missed me so much, Killua!" Gon said cheerily.

"Cut that out, Gon, it's embarrassing!"

Gon and Alluka laughed, and Killua smiled a bit, rolling his eyes. "That's okay, Gon, I'll go pick them up. You can just stay here with Alluka."

Gon furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you sure, Killua? It's my fault they're coming so soon."

Killua grinned. "Nah, that's okay. You're the guest, after all. I needed to go buy stuff anyhow." He got up from the table, reaching for his jacket.

"Thanks, Killua." Gon said.

"You'd better not be buying more sweets!" Alluka called sternly.

"Yeah, okay." Killua replied before heading out the door.

Gon grinned. "Killua hasn't changed much, has he?"

Alluka tried to act annoyed, but a smile still made its way onto her face. "It's ridiculous."

The two talked some more, mostly telling stories about Killua, before Alluka's blue eyes widened in alarm as she glanced over Gon's shoulder. "Gon-"

The split second Gon whipped around, a staggering shock warped through his body before he dropped out of the chair, unconcious.


	3. Chapter 3- Illumi X Makes His X Move

Killua turned the keys in the lock, and with a click the door unlocked. He pulled it open. "Alluka, we're back!"

Leorio looked over Killua's shoulder. "Hey, little buddy, it's Leorio!"

Silence. Stillness. No sign of life anywhere.

Killua felt a pit in his stomach, an ebbing feeling that something was terribly wrong.

Kurapika, confused, stepped inside. "Gon? Alluka? Can you hear us?"

Killua took a few stiff steps forward. When he got into the kitchen, the sight he saw nearly made him retch.

It was Gon, face-down on the floor next to a toppled chair, a steady trickle of blood forming at the side of his head.

But that wasn't the worst of it, not in Killua's eyes. What really shook him was the needle barely larger than his finger stuck in Gon's lower back.

Killua rushed forward, collapsing at his knees next to Gon. He plucked the needle from Gon's back and rolled him over, revealing the gash on his forehead and the cut on his face.

"Gon!" Leorio and Kurapika rushed over, kneeling next to Gon with very worried expressions.

"Gon, please wake up…!" Killua whispered shakily, his blue eyes glinting with fear.

Gon was still for a moment, but then Killua saw his eyelids twitch. Slowly and weakly, Gon's eyes fluttered open. "Killua…?"

Killua sighed with relief, backing up so Gon had enough space to sit up.

Gon did just that, wincing and brushing his fingers across his cheek.

"Gon, what happened, man?" Leorio asked, resting a hand on his back.

"Leorio, give him a moment." Kurapika tried to scold, but he seemed just as curious.

"N-no, that's okay." Gon said, opening his mouth to explain what had happened, but Killua tuned him out. Alluka was nowhere to be seen.

Killua stopped Gon mid-sentence by firmly putting his hands on his shoulders. "Gon." He began shakily. "Where is Alluka?"

Gon's eyes filled with panic and guilt, the last reaction Killua wanted to see. "K-Killua, I think he, er, Illumi, took her. I tried to fight him, but-"

"He did _what?!"_ Killua snarled, anger rising in him like a flood.

"Killua-"

Ignoring everything around him, Killua got up, spun on his heel, and rushed out of the room.

 _I've got to find Aniki*,_ he thought furiously as he burst through his door and onto the corridor. _He no longer has control over me, so I'll find him, and when I do, if it means getting Alluka back, I swear…_

 _I swear I'll kill him._

… _.._

 _*Big Brother_


	4. Chapter 4- An X Unexpected X Circumstanc

Gon sat in silence as Killua's rapid, barely audible footsteps slowly faded away. He averted his gaze away from his friends and stared at the floor, his mouth feeling dry.

 _I'm still weak,_ Gon thought miserably, _I couldn't keep Alluka safe for just a few minutes…_

"Gon."

Gon slowly looked up to meet Kurapika's gaze. His stare was hard, but had a hint of concern to it.

A look that made Gon feel more helpless.

"I'm going to go after Killua, but you're staying here. Understand?"

Gon opened his mouth to object, but Leorio cut in. "C'mon, Gon, at least let me look at your cuts. You can't go running after Killua in the shape you're in."

Gon wanted to argue, but no words came. He looked at the floor again.

"Keep an eye on him, Leorio. I'm counting on you." Kurapika said briskly, getting up and making his way out of the room.

"Right." Leorio called after him before they heard the door close.

…

Kurapika rushed across the street, quickly retracing Killua's steps back to the station. _Even an idiot would know that's where he's going_.

After a few more minutes, the train station came into view. Surprisingly, Killua was there, standing amongst the crowd. But Kurapika could tell by the way his fists were balled at his sides that he was still very, very upset.

"Killua." Kurapika called, though he doubted Killua heard him. He continued forward until he was at Killua's side. "Hey, I'm glad I found you. Are you going-"

"I… I have to go back…" Killua whispered hoarsely, his snow-colored bangs falling over his eyes. He clenched his fists tighter.

"Back where? To Kukuruu?"

"Yeah, but I have to go alone…"

"What? You can't go by yourself!"

"Shut up and _listen._ " Killua hissed. "They'll kill her if I don't."

Not giving Kurapika enough time to reply, Killua jammed his hands into his pockets and walked away.

 _I am_ not _taking that for an answer_ , Kurapika thought bitterly, _not for this._ He reached out his hand and grabbed Killua's shoulder, halting him.

Killua tensed, but then wrenched his shoulder away and whirled around with a cold glare.

"Killu- ack!" Kurapika was cut off as Killua socked him in the stomach. It wasn't hard enough to bring him down, but it was definitely enough to knock the breath out of him.

Killua slowly leaned forward until he was inches away from Kurapika's face. "You will _not_ follow me. If you do…" His left hand twitched as his fingernails grew into claws. He slowly brought up one claw to point between Kurapika's eyes. Bloodlust oozed from every inch of his body.

Kurapika glared back at him, but deep inside, he was nervous and confused. _I don't get it. Something's wrong. Killua wouldn't act like this unless something made him. Is it possible that Illumi communicated with him before I got here?_

After a few moments, Killua turned away and headed into the train station as if nothing had happened.

"Kurapika!"

Kurapika turned around to see Gon and Leorio trotting up to him. He sighed. _Looks like Leorio couldn't keep him cooped up for long._

"Kurapika! What happened? Where's Killua?" Gon asked, frowning when he saw that Killua was nowhere to be seen.

"It didn't go as well as I expected." Kurapika replied. "He didn't really seem himself."

"What do you think happened?" Leorio asked.

"Well, if Illumi took Alluka, and Killua seemed to have no choice but to return home, then I would guess that they're using Alluka as a hostage to get Killua to return without question." Kurapika guessed. Even though he hadn't even met Alluka, the thought made him furious.

"What kind of sick people would use their own daughter as a hostage?" Leorio muttered.

"The Zoldycks, that's who."

Gon looked up, his eyes dulled with anger. "Then we'll have to go and bail them _both_ out!"

Kurapika nodded. "Yes, but it's easier said than done."

Leorio thought for a moment. "I think Kurapika and I can manage rescuing Alluka."

Kurapika nodded. "Sure. Besides, I think Gon is the only one who can talk him into leaving."

"It just might work!" Gon piped in. "We've survived a visit to Kukuruu Mountain once, and we can do it again! Also, I've been working on restoring my Nen! Watch!" He got into position and released his aura, which was visible, but not very strong. "First comes rock… Jan! Ken!"

Kurapika panicked, quickly waving his hands in front of him. "No, Gon, not here…!"

"Gu- ah?" Gon stood dumbfounded as the fiery Nen engulfing his fist disappeared as soon as it came.

Leorio and Kurapika sighed with relief.

"Really, Gon, you need to save your energy for when we get to the Zoldyck's." Leorio muttered.

"Ah! Right!" Gon replied, hopping excitedly in place a couple of times before running off towards the station's entrance. "Let's go, you guys!"

"Gon! Wait up!" Leorio called, chasing after him.

Kurapika watched the two disappear into the station with a troubled gaze. _Gon is really determined to help Killua and Alluka, no matter the cost. I just hope he's prepared to face the Zoldycks head-on. I hope we all are..._


	5. Chapter 5- A X Cold X Determination

The majority of the train ride was thick with a tense and awkward silence.

Gon stared at his hands, practically trembling with anticipation. Anyone who knew him could tell that he was only one wrong look away from coming unglued.

Kurapika and Leorio shared a concerned look, and in silent agreement, they decided to break the silence and hopefully lighten the mood.

"This is… somewhat nostalgic." Kurapika began almost nervously. "This is like when we rescued Killua after the Hunter Exam. That was almost three years ago…" Silently cursing his pitiful attempts at small talk, he cast another look at Leorio. _You take over._

Leorio rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that sure brings back memories…"

Kurapika kicked him in the shin from across the seat. "You sound so sarcastic!" he blurted.

"Yeah, well you're just as bad! You sound like you're trying to give a speech in front of a crowd!" Leorio hissed.

"Uh, guys…?"

"Well at least _I'm_ actually _trying_!" Kurapika snapped.

"Guys…"

"Oh, yeah? Sure doesn't sound like it!"

"GUYS!"

The older boys stopped arguing, both looking back at Gon.

"I'm okay." he said, forcing a smile. "You don't have to struggle to make me feel better. Besides. you two were getting pretty loud."

Kurapika and Leorio remained silent and pretended to look around after one last glare at one another.

Barely a word was spoken until it was dark, and though they all tried to get some sleep, though it didn't result in much success.

Early the next morning, they arrived in Padokea, this time not needing much information from the citizens.

Like last time, they reached the mountain by the tour bus, tuning out Coco's cheerful explanations.

Finally, they arrived at Kukuruu. Without a moment's hesitation, Gon rushed to the tiny building next to the enormous gates and knocked on its door. "Zeburo-san! It's me, Gon!"

It didn't take long for the door to open, revealing a middle-aged man with a balding head. "Ah, I remember you three. It's alreadly been three years since I've seen you last."

"I have a question." Gon said, getting straight to the point. "When was the last time a Zoldyck child passed through the gates?"

Zeburo looked past him, checking for bystanders. "Come inside."

The three complied, following Zeburo into the building.

Zeburo sat down at a table, motioning for them to sit as well. "Have you come for Killua-bocchan again?"

Gon nodded. "Have you seen him recently?"

"Yes. He passed through the gates last night."

"Was anybody with him?"

"No, but his older brother arrived with Alluka-bocchan just before."

Gon's hands balled into fists. "Illumi, I'm guessing."

"Bingo."

Gon's expression hardened. He got up from his chair as quickly as he had sat down. "Thank you, Zeburo-san." And with that, he turned and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

Gon halted. "I'm going to rescue my friends. Killua and Alluka need me. I won't abandon them!"

Kurapika and Leorio understood.

"Thank you for your time, Zeburo." Kurapika said before all three exited the building.

Gon gazed up at the gates looming over him. He cracked his knuckles and stretched a few times before placing his hands firmly on the doors. _Hang on a little longer, Killua, Alluka!_ he thought before pressing with all of his might.

Within seconds, the door began to budge, and with his frustration and willpower fueling him, Gon succeeded in opening two of the doors on his own.

The trek through the vast woods was also silent as well, all the way up to the point where they came across Canary.

Canary looked a bit surprised to see them, but her expression quickly changed to one of extreme worry.

"What are you three doing here?" she whispered.

"Same as last time." Gon replied bitterly. "We're here to save Killua."

Canary sighed. "I was afraid you might say that. But right now is not a good time to be here. I have heard the main house is very tense. No one is allowed in, and Killua-sama is not allowed out. I'm sorry, but I can't allow you past this point. You'll die in the mansion if I do."

Gon gritted his teeth and continued forward anyway. "You know I won't take that for an answer, Canary."

Canary sighed again, tightening her grip on the cane and preparing to take a swing. "And you have had a fair warning."

Gon simply stared forward, getting closer and closer to her. "Move."

Canary attacked, but was stopped mid-swing and slumped over, only to be caught by Leorio. "I'm sorry, Canary, but we have friends to save." he whispered, gently laying her by the pathway.

Kurapika blinked. "That was pretty witty of you, Leorio."

Leorio flashed a small smirk. "When she went to swing at Gon, there was an open spot for a split second, so I jumped at the oppurtunity."

Kurapika smirked back. "I've underestimated you."

* * *

"Kil."

Killua tensed at his mother's voice. "I told you to leave me alone." he snapped. "You have me back, so what else do you want?"

"I just thought you should know that your 'friends' are approaching the mansion as we speak."

Killua's hearts sank. _No… No, no, no!_

"I do hope you aren't planning to leave again. That wouldn't be like you, with _it's_ life at stake."

"I… I'm not."

"Then shall we go ahead and get rid of-"

" _No!"_ Killua quickly swallowed down the harsh tone. "Uh, no. I-I'll do it myself."

And with that, he got up from his bed and headed towards the door. But he stopped beside his mother. "Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes, Kil?"

He turned his head, his azure eyes burning into his mother's mechanical ones. "Don't call Alluka that." Then, he shook his snowy white bangs over his eyes and slipped past her.

Kikyo smiled with satisfaction as Killua disappeared around the corner. "Kil, your expression was so cold just now… you've matured so much."


	6. Chapter 6- Time X To Split X Up

"Gon, you have your phone on you, right?" Leorio asked.

"Yeah."

"And you'll call us if something happens, right?" Kurapika added.

"Yeah."

"Is he even listening?" Leorio asked, slightly annoyed.

"I doubt it."

Leorio sighed, shaking his head. "Anyway, Kurapika and I will free Alluka while you try to talk Killua into leaving."

Gon nodded, turning to leave.

"Gon?" Kurapika called softly.

"What?"

"Be careful, okay?"

Gon stopped. "Right back at ya."

* * *

Gon felt like he had been walking through the cold hallways for hours, though it most likely hadn't been nearly as long. _Why hasn't anybody tried to attack me, or at least tell me to leave? Something's up…_

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared at the end of the hall, his hands in his pockets and his bangs covering his eyes.

Gon's eyes lit up. "Killua!" He rushed over to his friend, excitement countering his nervousness. "I've come to help you! Kurapika and Leorio are going to free Alluka, and you won't ever have to _look_ at this dump again!"

Killua continued to stare at the floor. "I know."

Gon raised an eyebrow. "Well, let's get out of here while we still can!"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Huh?"

"You're going to go home. You've done enough already."

"Killua, what're you talking about? I don't understa-"

"What's not to understand, idiot?! This is _all_ your fault! If it weren't for you, Alluka's life wouldn't have been in danger in the first place!"

"Killua, _what_ are you talking about?!" Gon demanded.

Killua brushed past him, acting as if he hadn't heard.

"Killua, wait!" Gon whirled around, trotting after the younger of the two and holding out his hand.

The moment Gon's fingers brushed his shoulder, Killua whirled around and siezed him by the neck, pressing him against the wall. He looked up, finding it difficult to hold Gon's alarmed gaze as he felt the shorter boy struggle in his steel grip.

"Killua, what's the matter with you?! Let go!" Gon cried, kicking his legs.

Killua's eyes blazed with fury. "That's _exactly_ my point! You have no idea what's going on because none of it matters to you!"

Gon's arms dropped at his sides, genuine confusion radiating from his amber eyes. "D-Do you really think that, Killua?"

"What do you think, Gon?! From the time I met you, all you ever cared about was finding Ging! Even when you did care about something else, what _you_ wanted _always_ came first, _especially_ with Ging, even after he abandoned you _twice_!"

Gon's teeth clenched as the confusion in his eyes twisted into fury. "Don't say stupid things! That's a lie, and you _know_ it!"

"Shut up! Are you even _listening_ to yourself, Gon?! You're denying the truth, and the truth is that Ging _never_ cared about you! Not like I did! I risked everything to help you out of your own messes! As far as he's concerned, you might as well still be lying in that hospital, dying because of your own stupidity!"

Quick as a flash, Gon pried Killua away with a hard shove. His eyes were no longer burning with anger. Instead, they were dull and emotionless.

"Take it back." Gon said in a low voice. "Take back what you just said."

"Why?" Killua replied simply. "It's the truth."

"Fine."

Gon gave no warning, no battle stance, not even a single sound. He just charged forward with unblinking eyes devoid of their usual light.

Killua made no effort to dodge, his own eyes filling with the same shadows.

Gon clenched his right fist, releasing his aura. "First comes rock…"

* * *

Kurapika and Leorio had reached the lower level of the mansion after searching for what seemed like hours.

"Why haven't we seen anyone?" Leorio wondered aloud.

"They know we're here."

"Seriously?!"

"They would have noticed us by now. They were literally expecting us. They're probably watching us from somewhere, waiting to attack us when we drop our guard."

"How can you say all of that so calmly?!"

"We just can't drop our guard. There's a slight chance we might be able to escape, if we plan everything carefully."

Leorio was about to protest when he saw a slight change in the wall, just wide enough to be a door.

That is, a door with no means of entering.

"Is this it?" Leorio asked.

The two listened for a moment, and sure enough, they could hear faint, muffled noises coming from the inside.

"Most likely."

Leorio leaned forward, examining the door with narrowed eyes. "It has no knob or lock, so maybe it's like the Testing Gate." he said, giving it a hard shove. It didn't budge.

"I don't know… it looks to me like it slides open."

"But there's no way to-"

"Let me finish. It doesn't slide open manually, of course."

"So there's a control panel for it or something?'

"Exactly. One of us has to find it."

" _One_ of us?! Like we have to _seperate?!_ That's suicide!" Leorio exclaimed.

"It's suicide if you keep _yelling!_ " Kurapika hissed. "I'll stay here and guard the door. You find the control room and open the door."

Leorio opened his mouth to protest.

"What? Do you want _me_ to go instead?"

"I- Ugh, _no,_ that's not it. I just don't like the idea of splitting up, that's all." Leorio sighed. "But I guess there's no other option. Alright, I'll go look for the control room."

Leorio turned and disappeared down the hallway, looking around cautiously.

Kurapika turned back to the door, tapping it tentatively. "Alluka?" he whispered.

There was no response, but there was a soft whimpering from the inside. It was obvious that Alluka was crying.

Kurapika decided not to knock anymore as to not draw attention to himself, so he leaned against the door and waited.

The minutes dragged on, and there was no sign of Leorio. Kurapika began to get nervous. _Was he attacked? Did he get lost? Should I go-_

Without warning, the door slid open, causing him to lose his balance. He stumbled into the room, falling into a sitting position. Alluka yelped in alarm.

Kurapika quickly got up and dusted himself off. "What the heck, Leorio?!"

"Hey, you wanted me to open it, didn't you?" Leorio's amused voice said over a hidden speaker.

Kurapika sighed in annoyance, turning around.

The room was brightly decorated, with toys of every kind lining each wall. In the middle of the room was a large bed, where Alluka was sitting, hugging her knees with surprised, tear-filled eyes. "Who are you…?"

Kurapika's eyes softened. "My name is Kurapika. I'm one of Killua's friends. That idiot you heard on the speaker is Leorio. We've come to save you."


	7. Chapter 7- In X The Zoldyck's X Trap

"Jan! Ken!" Gon sprinted towards the assassin, poising his arm to take a swing. But just as he was upon Killua, he vanished from sight. Killua arched a confused eyebrow.

Suddenly, he felt Gon's presence. He whirled around.

"Guu!" Gon took a swipe with his weakly-glowing fist. Killua dodged effortlessly.

He had fallen right into Gon's trap.

As Killua shifted to the side, Gon hooked him under the chin with the tip of his boot and kicked with all his might.

Killua landed hard, slightly dazed, but quickly recovered and jumped to his feet, spitting out a few flecks of blood.

Without a moment's hesitation, Gon took advantage of his naturally-enhanced jumping ability and launched himself into the air.

But Killua had his own trick up his sleeve.

His hands tensed and twitched as his fingernails grew into razor-sharp claws. Just as Gon was within reach, he seized the boy by the ankle and dug his claws through his boot and pierced his skin.

Once he was sure he had a firm grip, he threw Gon hard onto the clammy floor. The raven-haired boy's head collided with the stone with a jarring _thud_.

Gon didn't jump up. He didn't try to get up at all. He didn't _move._

Killua stood up straighter, waiting for Gon to stir. But he didn't. His stomach lurnched as blood began to pool on the floor below Gon's head.

Killua took a cautious step forward. Gon was so still, the assassin couldn't tell if he was breathing.

Killua went rigid. _I finished the job. Now Alluka won't get hurt._ His eyes burned, warning of oncoming tears. He squeezed them shut. _I finished the job. I killed Gon._

* * *

Leorio wiped away the bitter thread of blood trickling from his mouth, inwardly cursing their horrible luck.

Kurapika had predicted that their presence hadn't gone unnoticed by the Zoldycks. He hadn't predicted someone would block their exit. Especially if that someone was Illumi.

He stifled a groan. _What did I expect? The Zoldycks wouldn't just let us waltz in and take two of their children._ He cast a sideways glance at Kurapika, who responded by narrowing his good eye and gripped Alluka tighter. _But what do we do now?_

Leorio weighed their options. They could fight, they could run, or one of them could hold Illumi off while the other grabbed Alluka made a run for it.

Leorio quickly dismissed the last idea. _We are_ not _seperating again. It's too risky._

He cast Kurapika another look. _What do we do now?_

* * *

"You know, _its_ wellbeing doesn't really concern me. In fact, if it were my choice, I'd dispose of it myself. But its wellbeing was the only thing that got Kil to cave and come home to us." Illumi said, his voice devoid of emotion as always. He held up a closed fist, with needles in between each finger. "So that's why we can't allow you to have it."

In a fraction of a second, needles were whizzing throught the air towards them, so fast that they only narrowly dodged.

Kurapika's good eye widened in shock as he felt a small sting on his right cheek. The needle had grazed the side of his face. He looked over at Leorio, who had the same look as he examined a scratch on his arm.

Kurapika decided that had been way too close for comfort. They had to be ready next time, or the consequences could be dire.

As soon as those thoughts crossed his mind, more needles were heading their way.

It didn't take long to realize that if this kept up, what little luck they had was going to run out, and one of them wouldn't dodge fast enough. Or worse yet, Alluka might get hit.

 _There has to be a slight hesitation, then maybe-_ Kurapika inwardly shook his head. _What am I thinking? A trained asssassin like Illumi doesn't hesitate. But we're running out of time and energy…_

 _To heck with it._

"Leorio!" he called, and the two bolted. Illumi didn't chase them, but then again, he didn't need to, The needles would do the chasing for him for the time being.

Even though their backs were turned, dodging the needles was still possible, as long as they kept alert for the traces of Nen left on them.

Still, that didn't change the fact that they had disobeyed a crucial rule of surving a fight.

 _Never_ turn your back on the enemy.

* * *

It dawned on Leorio that they may have to split of after all. He bit back another groan.

Suddenly, he heard a pained gasp and another yelp behind him. He whirled around, eyes wide.

The needle had met its mark.


	8. Chapter 8- Battered X and X Broken

Dim light filled Gon's hazy vision.

The first thing he felt was pain stabbing through his head. He bit back a yelp.

Letting out a groan, he forced himself onto his elbows and knees, cringing as another fresh wave of pain passed through his head. It was so intense he felt he might black out.

Very slowly, he craned his neck to see Killua on his knees, his shoulders slumped and his head limp.

 _What's going on? Where… where are we?_ He blinked furiously, trying to will his vision to adjust. _Why can't I think straight?_

"Killua?" he croaked.

Killua didn't respond, but Gon could see his shoulders trembling. _I-Is he_ crying?!

Gon slowly teetered to his feet, wincing at the sharp sting from the cuts on his ankle, and trudged over to the silent boy before him. "Killua." he whispered.

Killua twitched, then slowly looked up. Sure enough, two shimmering trails of tears were spilling down his face. "G-G-Gon…?"

"Yeah, it's me…" Gon said, flinching as another wave of dizziness fell over him. "What happened? I… I don't remember anything…"

"I- You- ah…." Killua stammered before looking away. "That doesn't matter. Y-You need to… g-get out of here…"

"What…? I-I can't just leave you here! Let me help you!" he pleaded, holding his hand out to the crying boy.

"No!" Killua snapped, swatting Gon's hand away. "I said go away!" But then, the gaze crumbled as he was shaken by another round of sobs. "I-It's not safe… t-to be around me anymore…"

Gon furrowed his eyebrows. "That's stupid, Killua! I'm not going anywhere! We're getting out of here together-"

That's when Killua lashed out once again. He slugged Gon hard across the face, knocking him backwards. " _Get out!"_

Gon lay on his back, confusion and worry etched on his face. Slowly, he heaved himself back into a sitting position. "Killua, I-I'm sorry-"

"I don't care. Get out or I'll make you."

Gon was taken aback. Killua sounded _serious._ He shook his head, trying to clear the ringing in his ears. "No…" he whispered, staggering to his feet once again. "You're not thinking clearly! The real Killua would want to stick together no matter what. Pull it together!" Suddenly, something clicked inside him. _You're not thinking clearly! Pull it together!_

"We're all leaving together! Nothing will change that! So stop saying stupid things!" He narrowed his eyes. "Or will _I_ have to make _you_?!"

* * *

"Leorio… that's okay… you don't have to do anymore…" Kurapika whispered, his voice tight and laced with pain.

"Just shut up and let me see." Leorio muttered, not looking up.

"How are you feeling, Kurapika-san?" Alluka asked softly, her light blue eyes filled with concern.

Kurapika managed a small smile. "Better. Ack! Leorio, watch it!"

"Sorry."

He rolled his eyes and looked back at Alluka. "Don't worry about me, okay? I'm fine."

Leorio looked up. "Well, obviously Illumi didn't use Needlemen on you. It looks like he used the same type of needles he used to disguise himself, meaning it's distorted the bone in your leg. Considering you have your Healing Chain, that shouldn't be a problem, but we can't use our Nen until we're out of here."

"Meaning I'll be crippled until we get off the mountain?"

"Pretty much."

"But we have to help him somehow!" Alluka protested. "He's hurting!"

"Alluka, I'm fine. I've had broken bones before."

"No, you're not! Right, Leorio?"

Leorio simply shook his head. "If we use our Nen, we'll alert Illumi, and then we'll have more injuries, or worse, to deal with."

Alluka fell silent for a moment before looking up again. "I'm so sorry," she blurted, 'if it weren't for me you two would still be okay."

Leorio smiled a bit. "It's not your fault, Alluka. But don't worry about that. We need to get out of here."

"There's only one way you guys will get out of here safely." Kurapika replied, his expression hard. "You have to leave me here."

* * *

Gon brushed his fingertips along a stinging cut on his jaw. He could feel the contents of his stomach churning dangerously, and he couldn't seem to form words properly anymore. _Maybe I hit my head harder than I thought._

Killua wasn't in much better shape, with a deep cut on the back of his right hand and his left shoulder.

Both boys stared hard at eachother, panting and waiting for the other to make a move. This dragged on for what seemed like hours, but when Gon blinked, Killua disappeared. _When…? Where…?_

Suddenly, he felt claws raking down his stomach. He cried out as he landed hard on his back.. Stunned, he looked up to see Killua standing over him, his eyes empty and cold. He slowly held out a clawed hand and pressed it to Gon's neck, so firmly Gon could feel it pricking his skin. His voice was just as cold and distant as his eyes as he spoke. "Get out."

Gon slowly narrowed his good eye, the amber iris blazing. "No. I won't."


	9. Chapter 9- Let's X Stick X Together!

"Get out."

"No. I won't."

Gon swatted away Killua's clawed hand and dug his heels into the ground, pulling himself up. For one moment, Gon's bloody forehead collided with Killua's, and the pain searing through Gon's head at that moment was so immense the world around him blurred. Nonetheless, he stood tall over Killua and got into position, forming one last sputtering ball of Nen. "First comes rock…"

 _You're not thinking clearly!_

"Jan… Ken…"

 _Pull it together!_

Gon stopped short as those words- Killua's words - ran through his mind, and all at once he lost the will to fight.

"What are you waiting for?! Finish what you started!" Killua hissed, his azure eyes blazing.

Gon looked down at Killua as everything, the fight with Pitou and everything following came rushing back to him. He felt his eyes beginning to water.

"What's the matter with you?!"

Gon collapsed to his knees, tears spilling down his face. He looked back at Killua, flashing a crooked grin. "I guess I just took into account everything you said. It's all true, isn't it?" he asked, letting ut a bitter laugh.

Killua's eyes widened and began to glimmer with emotion. "Gon…"

"It's like when I fought Pitou, but the roles are reversed… I guess this some twisted kind of karma, right? Well, in that case-"

He was cut off as Killua threw his arms aound him, shaken with sobs.

Gon slowly put his arms around Killua, tears still streaming down his face. "I'm sorry, Killua, for everything…" he said shakily.

"I-I forgive you, Gon." Killua replied, still hugging Gon with one hand and rubbing furiously at his eyes with the other.

"Hey, Killua?"

"Yeah?"

"This is the first time you've ever given me a hug first."

Killua immediately broke away from Gon, his face growing hot with embarrassment. "Sh-shut it, Gon! It's embarrassing!"

Gon laughed out loud, and Killua laughed a bit as well. For the first time in months, it seemed all pressure and tension had been lifted.

It was a wonderful feeling.

Then, all at once, the hallway around them faded, and next thing they knew, they were outside the Testing Gates.

Killua blinked. "What the?! What happened?!"

"Nanika happened." A voice said behind them.

Gon beamed. "Leorio! You look terrible!"

"Right back at ya."

Killua paled. "N-Nanika?! You made a wish?!"

Leorio held up his hands. "Hey, it was Alluka's idea."

Kurapika sighed with relief as the chain unwrapped from his leg. He got up and went to stand beside Leorio. "I think she just made that idea to keep us from fighting."

"Well, now you know not to suggest leaving you alone when you're injured." Leorio retorted.

"You could've just said that instead of punching me in the face!"

Killua's eyebrow twitched. "Yeah. I'll get you two for that later. Where's Alluka?"

Leorio turned and pointed. "Right over there."

Sure enough, Alluka was running over to Kllua. When she got to him, she tackled him back to the ground in a hug. "Onii-chan, you're okay!"

Killua grinned. "Yeah, I'm fine!"

Leorio looked down at Gon suspiciously. "That's a pretty bad gash on your forehead, Gon."

Gon smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I hit it a couple times."

Leorio knelt down to Gon's level and examined Gon's head more closely. "Your pupils are pretty big, too. You're gonna need to see a doctor."

"But, Leorio, you _are_ a doctor!"

"A better one."

Gon grinned. "You can't be better than the best!"

Leorio laughed and ruffled the boy's hair. "Okay, you guys, the sooner we get out of Padokea, the better. My medical school exams aren't gonna take themselves."

Kurapika nodded. "And I'd better get back to finding more of my clan's eyes."

"Actually…" Gon started, taking Killua's hand in one hand and Leorio's in the other, and Killua, catching on, took Alluka's who took Kurapika's. "I think we should stay together a little longer!"

Leorio grinned. "Best idea I've heard all day."

So those five, tied together by fate, decided to put their current missions on hold for a long-overdue and proper reunion.

But it wasn't long before the blonde avenger received a text.

* * *

Hisoka: There's a certain blind Hunter who is searching for you~


End file.
